When clothes, tableware or hair are washed, there have hitherto been demanded eagerly detergent compositons which can be easily rinsed so as to save time and/or quantities of water required to rinse and can give smoothness to the hair without becoming dried nor loose and to the skin without becoming dried nor rough. Few detergent compositions satisfying both of the requirements have been commercially available.
Many formulations have been attempted in order to improve the rinsing property; thus, a fatty acid soap, a nonionic material such as polyoxyethylene alkyl ether or polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene alkyl ether, a lower alcohol, or the like may be formulated into a detergent composition. Although the rinsing property is certainly improved in such conventional detergent compositions, the foaming property during washing will be deteriorated.
On the other hand, humidity retention agents or humectants, such as water-soluble silicone derivatives, water-soluble sugar ester derivatives, water-soluble glyceride derivatives, and the like, have been added to detergent compositions so as to impart the smoothness to the hair or skin after washing and drying. However, these agents are insufficient in their effects since they are soluble in water and hence, for the most part, removed away by rinsing. Other humidity retention agents or humectants such as propylene glycol, glycerin, ethylene glycol and the like have also been added to detergent compositions. These agents may make the hair or skin sticky although they can impart some feeling of smoothness to the hair or skin. Further, hydrocarbon oils, ester oils, silicone oils or other oils have also been known as additives to detergent compositions. Although these oils can effectively impart the smoothness to the hair or skin, they are difficult to stably formulate into liquid compositions and such formulation may deteriorate the foaming property.